November 2011

Many of you may have heard of the Healthy People initiative, in particular Healthy People 2010. Healthy People 2020 is the new set of national goals and objectives to guide national health promotion and disease prevention efforts for all people through the next decade here in the United States. In addition to the Healthy People 2020 website and a brochure describing Healthy People 2020 goals and topic areas, there are also websites specific to the different topic areas, such as the "Arthritis, Osteoporosis, and Chronic Back Pain" page. Several key points regarding this topic area are:

Researchers at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN have released information from a study involving mice that demonstrated how removing senescent cells can postpone many of the traditional signs of aging. Senescent cells are predominantly found in aging tissues, potentially including tissues where arthritis is found. This research could be the first step in many to helping individuals extend their good health as they age.